Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2016.06.017

Energy Research & Social Science

Volume 20, October 2016, Pages 142-148

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2016.06.017 Get rights and content

Abstract

Our work examines the relationship between knowledge/familiarity with shale gas development in a comparative context. The United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) represent very different cases of shale gas development, with development relatively mature in the US whilst, no extraction of shale gas has yet commenced in the UK. Comparing results from two national level survey efforts in 2014, we find higher levels of knowledge about the shale gas industry in the UK than in the US, as well as higher levels of support in the US (opposition levels were similar, but US respondents were much less likely than UK respondents to say that they did not know whether they supported or opposed development). With respect to the relationship between knowledge and support, increased knowledge in the UK is associated with increased support, while knowledge was unrelated to support in the US. We anchor these results within the information deficit model of science, suggesting that concentrated media and governance in the UK have played an important role in producing the demonstrated effects.

Section snippets

Background

Our work examines the relationship between knowledge/familiarity with shale gas and attitudes towards shale gas industry development in a comparative context. The United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) represent very different cases of shale gas development. Shale gas development is a relatively mature industry in the US, with extraction via hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) occurring in many shale gas plays (e.g., the Marcellus in the Northeast, the Barnett in Texas, the Bakken in North

Literature review

Among the myriad comparisons between the US and the UK, which we could address, we focus in particular on the relationship between familiarity/knowledge about shale gas and support/opposition for development of the industry.

Rationale

The contextualist perspective described above provides a solid foundation for our comparative approach to assessing the relationship between knowledge and attitudes. Our engagement is based on our own healthy skepticism for the information deficit model: we agree with many of the theoretical critiques raised above, and note the results specific to shale gas development in the US that also challenge the assumptions of this model. However, a different story seems to emerge in the UK sources

What is the level of knowledge about shale gas development, and how does it differ between the general population of the US and the UK?

UK respondents demonstrated far higher knowledge (as indicated by answering the item correctly) than US respondents. Among US respondents, 33% answered correctly, 40% said that they did not know, and 27% answered incorrectly (Table 2). In the UK, 72% answered correctly, 19% said they did not know and only 9% answered incorrectly.

What are the socio-demographic attributes associated with knowledge?

For both the US and the UK, we explore socio-demographic correlates of knowledge. Respondent characteristics were not asked in precise parallel fashion (i.e.,

Discussion

Robust differences exist between the US and UK respondents. We found higher levels of knowledge (answering the screener question correctly) about the shale gas industry in the UK than in the US, but higher levels of support in the US (opposition levels were similar across the two samples, but US respondents were much less likely than UK respondents to say that they did not know whether they supported or opposed development). Regarding the relationship between knowledge and support, we see that

Acknowledgements

Funding for this research was provided by federal formula funds from the US Department of Agriculture, administered through (name withheld for blind review) University, and by the (O'Hara) Group at the University of (Nottingham).

We would also like to thank YouGov for their support in survey administration within the UK and Jessica Andersson-Hudson for her invaluable assistance in data coding and manipulation.

Funding for this research was provided via fellowship funding from the US Environmental

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Original research articleComparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom

Abstract

Section snippets

Background

Literature review

Rationale

What is the level of knowledge about shale gas development, and how does it differ between the general population of the US and the UK?

What are the socio-demographic attributes associated with knowledge?

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Energy Res. Soc. Sci.

Energy Policy

Energy Policy

Energy Policy

Ecol. Econ.

Ecol. Econ.

Energy Policy

Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev.

Appl. Energy

Reasonable accommodation: split estates, conservation easements, and drilling in the Marcellus Shale

VA Environ. Law J.

Shale we drill? Discourse dynamics in UK fracking debates

J. Environ. Policy Plan.

Public perceptions of shale gas extraction and hydraulic fracturing in New York and Pennsylvania

Issues Energy Environ. Policy

Residents’ perceptions of community and environmental impacts from Marcellus Shale

Rural Soc. Stud.

The Economic Impacts of the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Play: An update

Introduction: can we know the risks we face?

Risk and Culture

A New York or Pennsylvania state of mind: social representations in newspaper coverage of gas development in the Marcellus Shale

J. Environ. Stud. Sci.

How safe is safe enough? A psychometric study of attitudes towards technological risks and benefits

Policy Sci.

Evaluating split estates in oil and gas leasing

Land Econ.

Heuristics, biases, and the not-so-general public: expertise and error in the assessment of risks

Public responses to technological risks: toward a sociological perspective

Sociol. Q.

The roles of rhetoric in the public understanding of science

Publ. Underst. Sci.

Navigating Environmental Attitudes

Fracking as a Community Iissue in Michigan

Emergence of landowner coalitions in Marcellus Shale

Rural Soc. Stud.

Fracking in the UK press: threat dynamics in an unfolding debate

Publ. Underst. Sci.

Original research article
Comparing the relationship between knowledge and support for hydraulic fracturing between residents of the United States and the United Kingdom